Colorized Hydrocal????

[Anonymous]

Would adding color pigment, like ground up water color pigment,
or a concrete color agent hurt the hardner properties of hydrocal???

[jhoff310]

I dont see why it would, I think it would be the same as painting it when its dry. I have added paint to plaster before it hardened and it was fine> think in all reality Hydrocal is the same chemical compound as plaster with a " special" name.
just my 2 cents, now I'm broke
Jeff

[mikebonellisr]

Maybe some model RR'er who is a plasterer[?] will be able to answer the question.I know that some water with a high mineral content will /might retard the drying time or the plaster strength, as will salts so I would guess certain coloring agents might have some effect on the hydrocal,but I don't know to what degree

[BNSFGP38]

Ah no no no kimosabbe.[}:)] Plaster and Hydrocal are two different things. Excuse while I whip out my fire department haz mat hat here.[:p]

Commerical hydrocal that you would buy has the chemical name Ca,S04.

Hydrocal is a souped highly modfied plaster product. With such wholesome indgredents as Plaster of Paris ,Portland Cement ,Pot. Napthalene Sulfonate ,Talc ,Potassium Sulfate ,Starch, Ammonium Chloride, Monosodium Phosphate ,Tributyl Phosphate ,Sodium Citrate ,Calcium Salt of Polymerized Arylalkyl-Sulfonic Acids, Petroleum Distillates .
[:0]

[cacole]

Well, one thing that definitely won't work is latex paint. A chemical reaction between Hydrocal or Casting Plaster and latex paint makes it set up before you can even get it properly mixed.

[Anonymous]

Keemosabbee is correctly spelled Kemosabe. Trust me, I used to read the Long Ranger comic books as a kid. Hydrocal is a brand name, which may be why so many home improvement stores give you a blank look when you ask for it. There's probably a similar product produced by another supplier under a different brand name.

[bogp40]

D_Davis,
Try using masonry dyes, found at masonry builder supply. These powdered dyes are formulated to color concrete and mortor. I have successfully colored hydrocal and plaster for years with good results. They are commonly available in black, brown,tan and brick red. To use and get the desired color, add powdered dye to dry plaster or hydrocal- the dryed/ cured color will be slightly darker. Think of tile grout. Add the dry mix to water, not water to dry for a more consistant, smoother mix. You can blend and vary the colors- I have blended two different colors into rock molds swirl or spread to produce marbling/ veining . For asphalt or concrete vary the amount of black w/ touch of brown. Some of the roads and parking lots done this way have only needed minor weathering, lining and patches painted direcly on the final cured plaster.
Paint and other liquid colorings (sacrete) tend to alter the properties of the plaster, but experiment first you may have success w/ others. Good luck with your scenery.
Bob K.

[Anonymous]

I got your back on this for I have done this. Check this out. You can actually add the WS color that they have at the hobby shop. It is used to paint on hydrocal and it is water based. They have all sorts of colors as you know. The reason I know of this is

I was doing my road system over the past few months. I was doing the roads and had to paint them after I sanded them anyway so I figured, *** I can just add the Black top coat color to the mix and spread it on and when I am done sanding it I will not have to paint it. Well that was not the case. Though when it dried it was a better color and it actually looked like the color I wanted the road to be at but after sanding it, the color was not too good looking and also not as tough as when you paint the road.

For instance it was a colored hydrocal and you can still easily scrap it, or chip it. But when you paint the road it became more sturdy and not so easy to do those things. So even if the color was good I would recommend that you still paint it for durability.

Now if you were going to pour some paint into the mix and then cast rocks!!!! That is the best trick!!! It makes a perfect rock that is colored all the way thru. You can create perfect looking rocks. Then if the rock is too dark or light just paint some color onto it.to add depth. The reason I did not do this to my rocks on my layout is because I did not know what the color of the rocks in southern California were until recently or I would have done this. Try this for you rocks and you will respect the look!

[Anonymous]

Mr. Knapp/Parkerlegend Thanks for yer input. I got this idea when I was glueing with elmers
one nite. I added the cement pigment to the glue and did some foolin around while putting
down some road bed and it worked ok then and thought of when I get to doing secenery
to make some cliff/rock this way.